Rowland
300px|rightRowland, (ˈrō-länd) often called The Rowland or Rowlandians, are an extremely hierarchical sentient species. They are the first sentient Extraterrestrial species humans encountered. First contact was made by Galeno Rios of the Sayil colony. Human interactions with The Rowland have been strained at times do to drastic differences in linguistics and culture, though currently the relations are good. Their biological taxonomy, as with most extraterrestrial taxonomy, is highly debated; even their taxonomic rank of Origin is debated as their home planet has not been established. What is known is that they are a highly advanced amphibious race who evolved from a primitive amphibian very similar to the extinct terran Temnospondyli and some traits; postparletal tubular horns in adult form, a 4-5 phalanx pattern, and limited cutaneous respiration; still exist. Later ancestors diverge from the terran amphibian evolutionary pattern. some differences are of particular note. The development of both internal and external gills, with the later being lost in adulthood and the prior becoming vestigial during terrestrial stages, forced new taxonomic units to be created. The shift from tetrapodal form in the juvenile stage to bipedal form in the adult stage is also considered a milestone in the Rowlandian evolution. The development of medial and lateral thumbs and a non-specilized morphology are found only in the most recent ancestors. Note: As the Rowland home world has not been found, this data, obtained through The Mutual Ancestral Disclosure Bill (TPE-ETPR-R3115), can not be fully substantiated. Rowlandian juveniles look very similar to large leucistic axolotl with a flat-face and pronounced postparletal tubular horns. The leucistic nature of the juvenile along with the low pigmentation in adults has lead Xenobiologists to speculate that the Rowlandian home world is a low light planet with murky water: a dim swamp world. Further encounters with The Rowland have reveled other peculiarities of their species. Rowlandians born on purely aquatic worlds or worlds where terrestrial conditions prove harsher than aquatic ones can become neotenes (Neoteny, or juvenilization, is a form of paedomorphism where in an individual reaches full sexual maturity while maintaining juvenile traits). Rolandian neotenes are virtually indistinguishable from juveniles other than their almost doubled size. Neotenes have been recorded as playful and mentally delayed or stunted. Dr. Lenard Russ, one of the few scientists able to observe the neotenes closely for an extended time, noted that neotenes have many striking social similarities to humans with downs syndrome beyond the phenotypical high levels of neoteny: They are considered by their society to be childlike, and being perceived as childlike, sexual parings with neotenes, though biologically viable, are socially discouraged. Unlike Downs syndrome, Rowlandian neotenes are not caused by a chromosomal condition but rather an environmental condition. Neotenes also seem to exist outside of standard Rowlandian hierarchy. This is an important note as very few exceptions to their hierarchy have been found. The hierarchy of the Rowland, as most people are aware, caused many complications during the first contacts. Rowlandians seem to have had such system throughout their existence and had a hard time conceiving our social structuring with its plethora of nationalistic and civilizational differences. Galeno Rios, who made first contact, and Leandra Delatina, who made the first breakthroughs in the languages of the Rowlandins, both found acceptance within Rowland society, but many dignitaries and world leaders did not. When the Rowland killed the dignitary from Togrean 5, it almost sparked an armed conflict and created bigotry and distrust that holds to this day. It was only the hard work of Dr. Lesha French and her newly formed ETPR and the unusually cool head of War Master Braun that prevented armed conflict. Dr French argued that the Rowland were applying their Hierarchy to humanity and that the dignitary, chosen because of his amphibious gene altering, was outside of this structure. Category:Races